The present invention relates to a sensor.
More particularly, it relates to a sensor for automatically triggering safety devices in motor vehicles, with a housing and a body arranged in the housing and serving as a seismic mass so as to trigger a control signal when a predetermined threshold value is exceeded. Such a sensor in which a ball, serving as seismic mass, is arranged in the center of a socket with rising flanks is already known. The ball is deflected from this rest position either when a predetermined acceleration threshold is exceeded or when the motor vehicle is inclined at a predetermined angle. A reference light barrier is controlled by the rolling movement carried out by the ball and a measurement signal is accordingly generated. Further, it is known from DE-A1-35 40 947.9 to arrange an approximately cylindrical metal cylinder as seismic mass in the interior of a housing. A bore hole is constructed parallel to the axis in the seismic mass through which the light of a transmitter can reach a receiver in the basic position. If the seismic mass is tilted, the amount of light striking the receiver is reduced and a measurement signal is accordingly emitted. The center of gravity of the seismic mass is shifted with the aid of a recess constructed in the base of the seismic mass for influencing the triggering threshold. However, these sensors have the disadvantage that a relatively large tilting angle is necessary for obtaining an unequivocal measurement signal.